Deputy Prime Minister

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, pursuant to the Answer of 11 September 2014 to Question 208193, if he will make it his policy to provide guidance on financial and legal resources available to private citizens who take legal action against electoral registration officers who do not conduct door-to-door canvassing of those households that do not return electoral registration forms.

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, for what reasons no legal action has been taken against electoral registration officers who have repeatedly failed to conduct door-to-door canvassing of electors who have not returned an electoral registration form.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The Electoral Commission’s recent assessments of Electoral Registration Officers’ (ERO) compliance with its performance standard for door-to-door canvassing show that this is very high and improving year by year. As it is the duty of the Electoral Commission to monitor the performance of Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), the Government has no such plans to produce any guidance. The Government has made clear that if an ERO fails to meet the statutory requirements Ministers can issue a Direction under section 52 of the Representation of the People Act 1983 that will require them to comply with their statutory obligations.

Department for Energy and Climate Change

Biofuels

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, when the conclusions of the Biomass Emissions and Counterfactual report will be included in Government sustainability standards for bioenergy.

Matthew Hancock: The Bioenergy Emissions and Counterfactual model can be used by developers and generators to ensure that they are sourcing biomass responsibly. However, the model does not in itself propose specific regulatory measures.The Department continues to work on the analysis necessary in order to consider the appropriateness and potential design of any such measures. The Contracts for Difference include flexibility to amend the sustainability criteria in the future, should the Department’s further policy work and analysis show that this is needed.

Hunterston B Power Station

Iain McKenzie: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if he will make an assessment of the danger to the public as a result of cracks in the graphite of a reactor at Hunterston B nuclear power station, North Ayrshire; and if he will make a statement.

Matthew Hancock: Holding answer received on 16 October 2014



Assessing the safety of nuclear stations is a matter for nuclear sites and the independent nuclear regulator, the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR).Under the terms of its licence, a licensee is required to produce a safety case to demonstrate the continued safe operation of its reactors to the satisfaction of ONR. The licensee at Hunterston B, EDF Energy Nuclear Generation Ltd, notified ONR of the cracking of two graphite bricks in the core of Hunterston B (Reactor 4) on 21 August 2014. The type of cracking identified is termed ‘keyway root cracking’ and it has been considered by the licensee in its safety case. ONR’s technical experts confirmed that the cracks identified were well within the safe limits of operation set within the safety case and that they do not pose an increased risk to the public. On this basis, ONR was satisfied with the licensee’s justification for the return to service of Reactor 4 at Hunterston B and issued a Consent to restart Reactor 4 on the 29th September 2014.

Oil: Prices

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what recent steps he has taken to ensure that oil price reductions are passed onto the motorist.

Matthew Hancock: The downstream oil market is subject to UK competition law; where it is not the role for Government to set the price of petroleum products in an open competitive market.In January 2013, the Office for Fair Trading published the results of a Call for Information to investigate whether or not competition problems existed in the road fuels market. This included investigating concerns that pump prices rise quickly when the wholesale price goes up but fall more slowly when it drops. Their analysis found very limited evidence of this, and in general found that at a national level competition in the market is working well.

Hinkley Point C Power Station

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether the operator's liability for decommissioning costs are capped in the contract for difference for Hinkley Point C, or whether these will be passed on to EDF in full.

Matthew Hancock: There is no cap in the contract for difference for Hinkley Point C on the operator’s liability for decommissioning costs. The Government’s policy is that operators of new nuclear power stations must have arrangements in place to meet the full costs of decommissioning and their full share of waste management and disposal costs. This policy is being implemented through a framework created by the Energy Act 2008. The Energy Act requires operators of new nuclear power stations to have a Funded Decommissioning Programme approved by the Secretary of State in place before construction of a new nuclear power station begins and to comply with this programme thereafter.

Nuclear Power Stations

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment his Department has made of the forecast levelised costs for nuclear power generation with a date of commission in (a) 2020, (b) 2025, (c) 2030 and (d) 2035.

Matthew Hancock: DECC’s most recently published figures for current and future levelised costs are available in the DECC Electricity Generation Costs (December 2013) report:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/269888/131217_Electricity_Generation_costs_report_December_2013_Final.pdfTable 1 below is taken from this report, and shows a range of levelised cost estimates for nuclear projects commissioning in 2020, 2025 and 2030, evaluated using a technology specific hurdle rate of 9.5% (pre-tax real). Estimates are not available for projects commissioning in 2035.Table 1: Levelised cost estimates for nuclear projects, technology specific hurdle rate, sensitivities around high/low capital costs£/MWh£2012Projects commissioning in 2020, £/MWhProjects commissioning in 2025, £/MWhProjects commissioning in 2030, £/MWhNuclear79 - 10275 – 10167 - 89 Levelised cost estimates for different types of electricity generation are highly sensitive to the assumptions used for capital costs, fuel and EU ETS allowance prices, operating costs, load factor, discount rate and other drivers and this means that there is significant uncertainty around these estimates.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

World Expo: Italy

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what progress he has made on (a) sponsors for, (b) exhibitors and (c) construction of the UK Pavilion at the Milan Expo 2015.

Matthew Hancock: UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) is in discussion with a number of potential sponsors, and will announce sponsorships as they are contractually confirmed.   UK companies will be offered a range of opportunities to promote their products, services and expertise; at the UK Pavilion; in the centre of Milan as part of a global business programme; and as part of the wider campaign ‘Grown In Britain’ which will be delivered internationally through UKTI/Foreign & Commonwealth Office global networks.  Construction is proceeding according to timetable. The Expo organisers handed over the UK lot on 28 October 2014. The foundations of our Pavilion are complete. The manufacture of prefabricated elements of the Pavilion has begun in York. Construction on-site in Milan will begin imminently.